Thinking of moving from SWE in US to Product Manager/Product Owner in Japan — realistic or not?

Hi everyone,

I’m currently working in the US as a software engineer at a Fortune 500 company. I graduated from a Big Ten school in US and have about 2 years of experience so far. My plan is to work for around one more year (so, roughly 3 years total) and then move to Japan to continue my career.

However, instead of continuing as a software engineer, I want to transition into a Product Manager or Product Owner role in Japan.

Here’s my situation:
1. I speak English fluently but I don’t speak Japanese at all yet.

1. I have some technical background, but no formal product management experience so far.

2. My long-term goal is to work in a more business- or user-focused role rather than pure engineering.

I’d love to hear from people who have experience with the Japanese job market or who have made similar moves.

Questions
1. How realistic is it to switch from software engineering to a Product Manager or Product Owner role when moving to Japan?

1. How much would the lack of Japanese language skills limit my options?

2. how difficult is it to get a work visa for Japan compared to the US?

3. Is US work experience seen as a big plus, or do Japanese companies prioritize local experience more?

Any advice, personal experiences, or recommendations would be greatly appreciated! Thank you